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Tropical Plant Science & Agroecology Specialty
UH Hilo Home > Academics > College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management > Specializations
General Information
The Tropical Plant Science & Agroecology specialization is designed to provide an opportunity for students Interested in tropical crop science or a plant-related field to have access to selected courses or topics in their area of interest. The curriculum is structured to offer a well-rounded undergraduate education emphasizing the long-term sustainability of our managed crop production systems and the surrounding ecosystems.
Why Study Tropical Plant Science & Agroecology?
Graduates in Tropical Plant Science & Agroecology can obtain employment with private enterprises or government agencies concerned with conservation and environmental protection, crop production, plant pest control, plant ecology, laboratories specializing in plant and soil analyses and farm services/agribusiness. Other graduates may elect to start their own enterprises or proceed to graduate school for advance degrees.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Explain the principles, concepts, applications, and inter-relations of biology, chemistry, soil science, and mathematics as they apply to natural and agrarian "crop-based" plant ecosystems.
- Use the principles of scientific inquiry to describe, analyze, solve, and report on scientific problems involving tropical plant science and related fields.
- Exhibit proficiency in the use of technology, critical thinking, and quantitative tools used in plant-science applications.
- Interact and communicate effectively with peers, mentors, and the larger community through internships, work-related activities, presentations and reports.
- Exhibit proficiency and practical skills in various areas of crop production, and demonstrate awareness of the impact of agriculture on our environment and natural resources.
- Successfully pursue diverse careers or enter graduate programs in plant science, applied ecology and other related fields.
Requirements for Graduation
To earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture with a specialization in Tropical Plant Science & Agroecology, a student must complete a minimum of 123 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.0. The course work must be in the following areas:
General Education Requirements (46 to 52 hrs)
(see http://hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/gened/ for a listing of qualified courses)
In the Agriscience and Supplemental Requirements, some of the required courses also qualify as General Education Requirements.
| Title/Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
Basic General Requirements |
(18 hrs Total) |
| English Composition: Eng 100 or Eng 100T or ESL 100 or ESL 100T |
3 hrs |
| Language Arts | 3 hrs |
Quantitative Reasoning Two courses |
6 hrs |
| World Cultures: Two courses |
6 hrs |
| Area General Requirements | (19 hrs Total) |
| Humanities: Two courses in different disciplines. |
6 hrs |
| Social Sciences: Two courses in different disciplines. |
6 hrs |
| Natural Sciences: Two courses in different disciplines, Including 1 credit hour of laboratory. |
7 hrs |
| Integrative General Education Requirements | (9-15 hrs Total) |
Writing Intensive Requirement Three courses designated "WI", one of which must be numbered 300 or above. Transfer students, after an official transfer credit evaluation, may be required to take less than 3 courses. |
3-9 hrs |
| Hawai`i Pan-Pacific Requirement | 3 hrs |
| Global and Community Citizenship | 3 hrs |
Requirements for Major (including GE courses, 123 hrs)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Agriscience Requirements | (70 hrs Total) | |
| Ag 200 | Agro-Environmental Communication | 3 hrs |
| Ag 230+ | Sustainable Agriculture | 3 hrs |
| Ag 291 |
Directed Work Experience Program | 3 hrs |
| Ag 375 | Introduction to Genetic Analysis | 3 hrs |
| Ag 496 | Senior Seminar | 1 hr |
| AgBu 110* | Introduction to Microcomputing for Agriculture | 3 hrs |
AgBu 320 or AgEc 330 |
Agribusiness Management or Farm Management |
3 hrs |
| AgEc 201 or Econ 130* |
Agricultural Economics or Introduction to Microeconomics |
3 hrs |
| AgEn 231 | Introduction to Agricultural Mechanization | 3 hrs |
| AnSc 141 | Introduction to Animal Science | 3 hrs |
| Ento 304 | General Entomology | 3 hrs |
| Hort 262+ | Principles of Horticulture | 3 hrs |
| Hort 264 | Plant Propagation | 3 hrs |
| Hort 481 | Weed Science | 3 hrs |
| Pphy 310 | Plant Growth and Development | 3 hrs |
| Ppth 301 | Tropical Plant Pathology | 3 hrs |
| Soil 304 | Tropical Soils | 3 hrs |
| Select SEVEN Other Agriculture Courses with at least 12 credits must be 300/400 level (Upper Division) |
21 hrs | |
| Supplemental Requirements | (14-16 hrs Total) | |
| Biol 175-175L | Introductory Biology I & Lab | 4 hrs |
Chem 114*-114L* Chem 141* or Chem 124*-124L* Chem 125*-125L* or Chem 124*-124L* Chem 141* |
Introductory Chemistry & Lab Survey of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry or General Chemistry I & Lab General Chemistry II & Lab or General Chemistry I & Lab Survey of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry |
7/8 hrs |
| Math 104* or higher (except 107, 108, 111) | Precalculus Mathematics | 3/4 hrs |
| Electives | (7-16 hrs Total) | |
*Can be used for Basic General Education OR Area General Education OR Integrative Requirements.
+Can be used for Basic General Education OR Area General Education AND Integrative Requirements.
Effective Fall 2011